


Magic 8 Ball

by scribblepen



Category: Layton Kyouju Series | Professor Layton Series
Genre: I always meant to publish it but yeah, I made this a long time ago btw, M/M, have fun
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-24
Updated: 2016-02-24
Packaged: 2018-05-23 01:42:05
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,570
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6100672
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/scribblepen/pseuds/scribblepen
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Ever since then, Crow began noticing little things about Badger and worrying just a little bit too much about him when he ran on the rooftops or leapt on high places.</p>
<p>He knew exactly why.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Magic 8 Ball

**Author's Note:**

> this is gonna be really fluffy kinda sorry

"Ancient lamp sold to Mr. Bell over there!" Crow couldn't help grinning when he heard some disappointed grunts or whines pass through the auction room.  
  
Crow was still amazed at how Scraps managed to make that shabby old lamp look like new, and at the same time, ancient. He made a mental note to praise Scraps on that.   
  
People started to filter out, due to the late hour. There was still one item left to bid off, but Crow didn't bother stopping the crowd, he was tired as well. He didn't wait for the last person to leave, since he believed it'd look more... Mysterious to just disappear behind the curtains.  
  
He was met by a few congratulations from Marilyn and Louis who both seemed to be the only ones who were really alert. Socket was fast asleep, Wren was groggily counting up their earnings, Tweeds was half asleep on a rickety chair near the cabinets, Nabby was silently muttering about what a pain it was to... Well, Crow wasn't sure. Nabby was actually quite possibly sleep talking. Scraps was looking through his findings, with the occasional toss over his shoulder. Crow remembered that he wanted to congratulate him but first he wanted to talk to Badger.  
  
Exactly one month ago, Badger had been particularly clumsy. He was bumbling about, knocking over several things and hastily apologizing. He even knocked over Marilyn's fruits, which she made him pick up and clean. Badger was obviously very embarrassed and because of that was oblivious to the questioning stares he was receiving from Wren and Crow.  
  
"Gee, I've seen Badger be a klutz before but never this clumsy." Wren whispered to Crow.  
  
Wren and Crow had been looking at the same person but they both saw completely different things.  
  
To Crow, Badger was being a klutz but he had never been so graceful before. Subconsciously, Crow's eyes widened before quickly darting to the ground in... Well, something. In embarrassment probably. He wasn't really sure what that knotty feeling was.  
  
"Er, yeah. Maybe 'e didn't 'ave a proper sleep." Crow had said, not looking at Wren.  
  
Wren had seemed to notice that Crow was distracted, so she brought up a topic that she was sure would make him pay attention.  
  
"Hey, I saw some rich lookin' people." Wren had said. "Do you think it'd be a good idea to let Badger run around as the Raven when he's like this?"  
  
Crow's mind had ran through that thought and he furiously shook his head.  
  
"I- no, 'e would probably fall and break his neck," Crow had said. "Y-y'know, maybe- maybe we should let Tweeds do the rooftops t'day."  
  
Had he really said that?  
  
"What? You aren't thinking straight!" Wren had gasped. "Remember what happened last time?"  
  
Last time, Tweeds had brought candy up with him, and a man with a top hat who called himself Layton had found out their secret.  
  
"Right, right," Crow had tried to clear his head. "Maybe we shouldn't be the Raven today."   
  
That had garnered a rather loud gasp from Wren. Crow had darted off before Wren could protest.  
  
Ever since then, Crow began noticing little things about Badger and worrying just a little bit too much about him when he ran on the rooftops or leapt on high places.  
  
He knew exactly why.  
  
He convinced himself that he was the same old Crow as he made his way to Badger. Badger was flipping through a dusty old magazine that Scraps had found a few days ago.  
  
"I didn't know you could read." Crow said, startling Badger. It was very easy to startle him, so Crow didn't worry about it too much.  
  
"I uh, I read some." Badger murmured. "I can't read nowt good though."  
  
"Yea, well most o' jus' plain can't read." Crow said. That wasn't true. The two of them knew that all the Ravens could read except for Nabby. Nabby could really only count.  
  
"It's nowt special." Badger whispered.   
  
It was silent between them for a bit, and all to be heard was the was the occasional laugh from Marilyn or Louis or the snores from Nabby or Socket.  
  
"I'm just about to head 'ome." Crow said. "I'm dead exhausted."  
  
"...Me dad isn't home, so would ya, would ya mind if I stayed here?" Badger asked very quietly, even for himself.  
  
"I- I wouldn't mind but can't you jus' stay with one of us?" Crow would offer to have Badger stay with himself but he didn't have the room.  
  
"It's okay." Badger used a tone that signaled that their conversation was over.  
  
\---  
  
The next morning, Crow was prepping for the next auction which would happen in a week. A very rich family was going to stay in Misthallery, according to Joseph.  
  
He found a shiny black ball which was about the size of his palm. According to Scraps, he was supposed to auction it off yesterday. At first, Crow didn't understand what was so good about it. Was he supposed to say it was obsidian or summat? The ball was a bit heavy and when he moved it around, he could feel a light tap coming from the inside. A quick scan over it and he realized that it was a Magic 8 ball.   
  
His mum had told him about them before, and apparently they were supposed to answer yes or no questions. Crow wanted to test it out.  
  
"Will the auction next week get us a load'a dough?" He shook it as he asked out loud.  
  
He excitedly peeked at it, and saw that it read, 'The stars say no'.  
  
"What a load'a rubbish!" He proclaimed. "Yer jokin', right?"   
  
He shook it again. It simply read 'Yes'.  
  
He thought for a while, wondering what else to ask it.  
  
"Will Tweeds buy all a' Aunt Taffy's sweets... Again?" He turned the ball upwards and snickered a little when it read 'No doubt about it'.  
  
He felt a little childish, playing with some Magic 8 ball, but he had to admit, it was amusing.  
  
When he exited the Black Market, he was immediately greeted by Nabby.  
  
"Hey where've ya been for so long?" He asked. "You were cooped up in'er for almost thirty minutes!"  
  
"I was?" Crow hadn't noticed the time fly. "Sorry 'bout that. Hope everythin's be'n goin' smoothly."  
  
"Yeh, but what were ya doin' down there?" Nabby demanded.  
  
"Nowt important, Nab," Crow said, and left before Nabby could reply.  
  
\---  
  
Crow was just about to go back to his little room behind the auction hall when he spotted Badger fiddling with a flower.  
  
Not wanting to startle him again, he crept up carefully and slowly so that Badger would have time to realize that someone was there.  
  
Crow could hear Badger muttering summat like 'luv me' and 'nawt'. Crow wasn't sure what he was doing at first but he realized that he was reciting that silly daisy trick that supposedly decides if someone likes you back. Of course Badger would do that. Crow was dying to know who Badger was thinking of, and decided to eavesdrop just a bit to hear if he gave a little hint.   
As he crept closer, Crow could hear Badger more clearly.   
  
"Luvs me nawt," Badger said, plucking off a petal. "He luvs me..."  
  
Crow didn't notice at first but then realized that Badger was in fact talking about a boy, not some lass.  
  
"Badge? Wot a' ya doin'?" Crow asked, unsuccessful in trying not to startle his friend.  
  
"O-oh! Um, I was um... I was. I was gonna give this daisy to uh...um. Sorreh." Crow wasn't sure what Badger was really apologizing about.   
  
"Oi, if ya were gonna give it to someone, why'd ya pluck half the petals out?" Crow asked.  
  
"I- I was tryna... I. I dunno." Badger shrugged, shyly.  
  
"Who were ya gonna give this to?" Crow asked. Maybe he'd spill a little.  
  
"Some lass.... Nowt important..." Badger muttered.  
  
"... Badge, that's a proper lie!" Crow exclaimed. Crow knew that he was being a little harsh, using Badger's shakiness to his advantage.  
  
Badger immediately shut up, and began fiddling with the stem of his daisy.  
  
"Sorry." Crow whispered.  
  
\---  
  
Back behind the auction room, Crow decided to try something with the Magic 8 ball.  
  
He shook the ball and asked, "Is Badgeh in love with Sock'?"  
He turned the ball over and looked at the answer. 'Don't count on it.'  
  
"...Does Badgeh fancy Nabby?" The ball read, 'No'.   
  
He tried it for every male Black Ravens, except himself. He even went as far to ask if Badger fancied Tweeds, Scraps, Louis, Nabby or Socket. The Magic 8 Ball read, 'The stars say no'.  
  
Crow reluctantly tried himself, because who else could it be? He had to admit though, trying his own self made him feel a little jittery.  
  
'Focus and ask again.'  
  
"What a proper dumb response." He muttered to himself.  
  
"Crow?" Crow turned around and saw Nabby standing by the curtains. "Who are you talking to?"  
  
Nabby walked over to Crow before he could even respond.   
  
"A magic 8 ball?" Nabby examined the black sphere. "You really shouldn't believe those things." With that, Nabby exited the back.  
  
Deciding it would be safer to think questions rather than to say them out loud, Crow gave the ball one last shake, his previous question still in mind.  
  
'All signs point to yes', Crow read as Nabby's warning rang through his head.


End file.
